Rail anchor



H. G. WARR ANCHOR Oct. 14 1924.

Filed Jun 25. 1925 Patented @ct. Ml, lQZ fl,

STATES EARQLD G. WARE, GE PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE P. & Ml. COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIGN OF ILLINOIS.

RAIL ANCHOR.

Application filed June 25, 1923. Serial No. 647,646.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAR LD G. VVARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Park Ridge, in the county of Cook and State 6 of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail anchors and has for its primary object the provision of M an improved one piece anchor device that may be conveniently formed from a single bar of metal and which, when applied to a rail, will maintain a firm grip on the upper and lower surfaces of the base of the rail by spring pressure.

Another object of my invention is to provide a one piece anchor of the above character having a jaw at one end of the device for engaging the upper and lower surfaces 2i? of the base flange of a rail and provided with a tie abutting portion adjacent the jaw end of the anchor, which portion is so formed as to bear against the tie at a substantial distance below the top surface of the tie. In this connection I further contemplate a tie abutting portion which extends downwardly from the bottom surface of the rail base, leaving an open space between the anchor and the bottom surface of the rail, whereby rough areas on the bottom surface of the rail will not interfere with the application of the anchor or its grip on the rail.

A further and more specific object of my invention is the provision of a one-piece rail anchor having a portion for gripping the upper and lower surfaces of the base flange of a rail, which jaw portion is so formed that the driving force required to drive the anchor to its rail gripping position may be applied to the anchor at an angle convenient for the workmen and which will also permit the anchor to be arranged in contact with one of the vertical faces of a tie and be driven to its applied position without the ballast or the position of the tie interfering with the strokes of the sledge hammer, used in applying the anchor.

The invention has for further objects such other new and improved constructions as will be, hereinafter described and claimed for carryin out the above stated objects and such ot er objects as will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts, and wherein:

Fig. l is a view partly in section and partly in plan of'a rail base showing a rail anchor constructed in accordance with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is avertical section of the rail base shown in Fig. 1 illustrating in elevation, my

improved anchor device in its operative position on a rail, and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the rail anchor in its partially applied position.

Referring to the drawing wherein I have illustrated my preferred form of rail anchor applied to the base portion of a railroad rail 10, in position to bear against, one of the vertical faces of a cross tie 11. The anchor as illustrated consists ofa single bar of metal formed at one end with a jaw portion 12 adapted to grip the upper and lower surfaces of the rail base at one side of the rail and provided at the other end with an upstanding shoulder 13 adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail base.

The jaw portion 12 is preferably formed by bending one end of the metal bar upwardly and inwardly to provide a hook, the end portion 1a of which extends over the upper inclined surface 15 of the rail base. The inwardly extending portion 14- of the jaw is formed at its extremity with a hearing surface 16 which bears against the upper inclined surface 15 of the rail baseand is confined in its engagement with the upper surface of the rail to said bearing surface, the portion of the hook between said hearing surface 16 and the adjacent edge of the rail being bowed slightly upward to provide a small clearance between the upper surface of the rail base and the hook portion 14. The bowed configuration of the jaw extends around the vertical edge 17 of the rail base and terminates in a, shoulder 18 which is inclined transversely of the rail at an oblique angle to the bottom surface of the rail base, thereby providing a cam surface which engages the lower corner of the rail base so as to effect a. tightening of the jaw upon the edge of the rail when the anchor is moved toward the right of Fig. 3.

The bodyportion of the anchor intervening between the upstanding shoulder 13 and the inclined shoulder 18 is preferably bent downwardly away from the bottom surface of the rail base to provide a tie abutting portion 19, Y which portion is disposed in close proximity to the rail gripping jaw and bears a ainst the tie a substantial distance below t e upper edge of the tie. By providing a tie abutment which extends downwardly from the bottom of the rail base,

, damage to the tie such as sometimes results from the contact of the anchor with the upper edge of the tie is avoided. It will also be seen that this construction of anchor provides an open space intervening between the bottom surface of the rail base and the body of the rail anchor, extending substantially across the rail base, thereby avoiding the disadvantages encountered in applying the anchor to a rail having bumps or irregular formations on the bottom surface of thebase.

The upstanding shoulder 13 is preferably formed by offsetting the end of the bar with relation to the adjacent body portion. This method of forming the upstanding bar effects a considerable saving in material and reduces the amount of labor involved in forming the shoulder 13 in a different manner.

In applying the anchor, the jaw portion 12 is hooked over one edge of the rail base and in the position as shown in Fig. 3. In this position the offset portion 13 stands under the base of the rail and the lower edge ofthe inclined shoulder 18 is in position to pass under the adjacent edge of the rail when the anchor is driven toward the right of Fig. 3. The inclined surface being forced under the rail base and the bearing surface 16 of the jaw being forced upwardly on the inclined surface 15 of the rail base. the jaw portion is distorted and exerts a spring grip on the rail base. When the anchor is moved a distance sufficient for the shoulder 13 to snap over the edge of the rail base, the inner face of the shoulder engages the vertical edge of the rail and thereby provides positive means for looking the anchor against accidental reverse movement. The distance between the inner face of the shoulder 13 and the inner face 12 of the jaw portion 12 is preferably such as to provide suflicient clearance to take care of the allowable variations in the width of rail bases. This clearance, however, will normally be reduced by a slight skewing action of the anchor. The position of the tie abutment with relation to the jaw portion 12 tends to induce this skewing action and thereby produces additional holding power by effecting a shackle hold on opposite vertical edges of the rail base.

The configuration of the jaw portion and the inclination of the shoulder 18 is preferably such that the force necessary to drive the anchor to its rail gripping position can be delivered with greater effect at an angle substantially as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3. With this construction the blows of the sledge used in applying the anchor may be delivered against the upper portion of the anchor and the difiiculty thereby avoided which is presented by anchors of the various types in which it is necessary to apply the hammer blows lower down on the jaw or below the upper edge of the tie. In such cases, the anchor being ordinarily arranged close to the tie, both the anchor and the adjacent cross tie are often injured by misdirected blows. Furthermore, such blows being delivered near the side of the tie, the blows are applied diagonally to the main portion of the anchor instead of being directed in line with the intended movement of the anchor.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed at one end with a jaw portion which is normally flexed during its application to a rail to effect a spring grip on the rail, at the other end with means for engaging the opposite vertical edge of the rail base, and intermediate said jaw and means with a downwardly bent portion adapted to bear against a tie.

2. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed at one end with a jaw for bearing against the upper surface of a rail base and with a cam surface for engaging the adjacent lower corner of said base and formed at the other end with means for engaging theopposite edge of said base; said jaw having a configuration whereby the anchor is adapted to be applied to its rail gripping position by pressure applied downwardly at an angle to the upper portion of the jaw.

3. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed at one end with a jaw adapted to bear against the upper surface of a rail base and with a cam surface for engaging the adjacent lower corner of said base at the other end with means for engaging the OPPOSlbF edge of the rail base, and intermediate said jaw and means with a downwardly bent portion adapted to bear against a tie; said jaw having a configuration whereby the anchor is adapted to be applied to its rail gripping position by pressure applied downwardly at an angle to the top portion of the aw.

4. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with a hook shaped jaw which projects over and bears at its extremity against the top surface of the rail base at one side of the rail and provided with an angular surface which bears against the adj acent lower corner of the rail. formed at the other end with means for engaging the opposite edge of the railbase, and formed intermediate said angular surface and said means with a downwardly bent portion adapted to bear against a cross tie.

5 A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with a hook shaped jaw, which projects over and bears against the top surface of the rail base at one side of the rail, and is provided with a shoulder having a surface inclined transversely of the rail and adapted to bear against the adj acentlower corner of the rail base, formed at the other end with means for engaging the op osite edge of the rail, and formed intermediate said angular surface and said means with a downwardly bent portion adapted to bear against a cross tie.

6. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with a jaw portion, which bears against the top surface-of a rail base adjacent one side of the rail, and is provided with a shoulder having a cam surface adapted to exert pressure against the adjacent lower corner of the rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail, formed at the other end with means for engaging the opposite edge of the rail base, and formed intermediate said shoulder and said means with a downwardly bent portion adapted to bear against a tie.

7. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with a jaw portion, which bears against the top surface of a rail base adjacent one side of the rail, and is provided with a shoulder having a cam surface adapted to exit pressure against the adjacent lower corner of the rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail and formed at the other end with means for engaging the opposite edge of the rail base, the portion of the anchor intermediate said shoulder and said means being bent downwardly adjacent said shoulder to provide a tie abutment.

8. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with a jaw portion. which bears against the top surface of arail base adjacent one side of the rail and is provided with a shoulder having a cam surface adapted to exert pressure against the adjacent lower corner of the rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail and formed at the other end with means for engaging the opposite edge of the rail base the portion of the anchor intermediate said shoulder and said means being bent downwardly adjacent said shoulder to provide clearance between the body of the anchor and the bottom surface of the rail base and to form a tie abutment.

9. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with a hook shaped jaw which bears at its extremity against the upper surface of the base flange of a rail adjacent one side of the rail and provided with a shoulder having a cam surface inclined downwardly transversely of the rail and adapted to bear against the adjacent lower corner of the rail base; formed at the other end with an upstanding shoulder adapted to engage the opposite edge of the rail base. and formed adjJacent said cam surface wit-h a downwardly ent portion adapted to bear against a tie; said hook shaped jaw being of a configuration whereby the anchor may be positioned adjacent a tie and driven to its rail gripping position by striking the top portion of said 10. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with a jaw portion which engages the vertical edge of the rail base and bears against the top surface thereof, and provided with a shoulder having a cam surface adapted to exert pressure against the adjacent lower corner of the rail base when the anchor is ap-' plied to a rail, formed at the other end with means for engaging the opposite edge of the rail base and formed intermediate said shoulder and said means with a. downwardly bent portion adapted to bear against a tie.

11. A rail anchor comprising a bar formed with a jaw portion adapted to engage the vertical edge of a rail base and bear against the top surface of said base, and provided with a cam surface adapted to exert pressure against the adjacent lower corner of the rail base when the anchor is applied to a rail, formed at the other end with an abutment for engaging the opposite edge of the rail base and formed at a point adjacent said jaw portion with a downwardly bent tie engag ing portion; the distance between the surfaces of said jaw and said abutment which engage the opposite vertical edges of the rail being such as to accommodate rails varying slightly as to width and the tie engaging portion being so disposed as to induce displacement of the anchor diagonally of the rail to effect a shackle hold on opposite vertical edges of the rail base.

HAROLD G. WAR-R. 

